Steering damper

[bakerlonglegs]

Next numpty question for the airhead collective: steering damper. The unit off my 1981 R100 feels almost solid, moving the arm in and out takes quite some force. Also when compressed it stays compressed (as shown below) it doesn’t return out which seems odd. So today’s dimbo questions from me: is it supposed to feel like that and, if not, is it worth replacing (77 quid from Motorworks)?

Thank you for your help and patience!

 

[Gelandestrasse]

Normal. There's no spring inside to do what you are expecting. It's a steering damper as opposed to a shock absorber.

 

[Mad Hatter]

Looks in good condition, put it on the bike and see what it feels like. I had one on my R60/6 and it was quite effective and the different amount of damping between the three settings was very noticeable